Devices for storing items such as gardening tools, children's toys, barbeque accessories and the like out of doors is well known. Permanent structures, such as utility sheds or garages, are often utilized for storage of these items. Recently, patios and decks have become a common addition to homes. These structures provide space for families to enjoy outdoor activities and recreation. However, these structures occupy a great deal of yard or lawn space available to a homeowner. This lawn space is not available to the homeowner for utility sheds or other permanent storage structures. This lack of space for additional structures requires the homeowner to find additional storage space for items normally stored in utility sheds.
Devices for storing items related to activities on or near the water are also well known. Permanent structures such as boat houses are often employed for storage of boats and other related equipment. It can be appreciated that on beaches and other waterfront properties, there are often many types of water vehicles and recreational equipment. Additionally, equipment such as life jackets, fishing gear, floats and other items which may be utilized on and in the water require storage adjacent the water. If there is no storage adjacent the waterside, the equipment must be carried back and forth between storage spaces remote from the waterside and the waterside. Alternatively, items can be placed on a boat for storage. However, this does not provide adequate security for these items.
Although permanent structures such as boathouses or utility sheds may provide adequate storage, such structures have several drawbacks. The permanent structures may be very costly to construct and maintain. In addition to the cost, the permanent structures may require a building permit or occupancy permit.
In addition to permanent storage sheds or boathouses, the prior art had proposed a number of different panel systems or kits comprising blow molded or extruded panels and connector members which form a wide variety of structures. Typically, these systems require extruded metal or plastic connector members having a specific cross-sectional geometry that facilitates an engagement between such members and one or more plastic panels having a complimentary edge configuration.
A particularly common structure for the connector members is the I-beam cross section. The I-beam defines free edge portions of the connector member which fit within appropriately dimensioned and located slots in the panel members. U.S. Pat. No. 5,979,352 discloses a storage box that is representative of the state of the art I-beam connector members. The I-beam sides of the connectors engage with the peripheral edge channels of a respective wall panel, and thereby serve to join such panels together at right angles. Straight or in-line versions of the connector members are also included in the kits to join panels in a coplanar relationship to create walls of varying length.